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ShareKUWAIT: The General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) held its 45th meeting on Monday, in Kuwait, with the participation of the heads of National Olympic Committees from 45 Asian countries, including Kuwait, which was represented by the President of the Kuwait Olympic Committee, Sheikh Fahad Nasser Al-Sabah. The meeting, chaired by the Kuwaiti Director of the Council, Hussain Al-Musallam, began with a speech from the newly elected President of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry from Zimbabwe, who emphasized the importance of sport as a powerful force for communication and unity among athletes.
She highlighted that it gives them the opportunity to express themselves and actively participate in their communities, expressing her pride in being present at this major continental event. Coventry, who will officially assume her position in June, stated that Asia played an important role in Olympic sports, as evidenced by its outstanding success in hosting the Olympic Games the Pyeong Chang 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
She added that Asian countries are distinguished by their professional organization of Olympic sporting events, whether at the international or continental level, and praised the excellent organization by the OCA and the Kuwaiti Olympic Committee both the impressive opening ceremony on Sunday evening and today’s meeting. The assembly then listened to reports from the Vice Presidents of the Olympic Council of Asia for each region, Timothy Fok from Hong Kong representing East Asia, Dr Norza Zakaria from Malaysia for Southeast Asia, Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck from the Kingdom of Bhutan for South Asia, Otabek Umarov from Uzbekistan for Central Asia, and Dr Thani Al-Kuwari from Qatar for West Asia.
The assembly also reviewed reports from Witold Banka, President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and from the organizing committees of the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Summer Games and the Harbin 2025 Asian Winter Games in China. The meeting also included presentations from the organizing committees of upcoming games, providing updates on their latest preparations. These events include the Asian Youth Games Bahrain 2025, the Asian Games Nagoya, Japan 2026, the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games Riyadh 2026, and the Asian Winter Games NEOM 2029. The meeting concluded with the annual reports from the working committees of the Council, presented by the heads of the permanent committees.
Earlier, a statement by the Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi expressed pride and honor in the representation of His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah in his attendance of this opening ceremony of this major continental Olympic sports gathering, wishing them success in developing Asian sports in various games.
On his part, President of the International Olympic Committee Dr Thomas Bach emphasized the importance of the Asian continent not just in its size but also in its presence in the sports world, saying “with a long history and distinguished presence in all its fields, to its tremendous influence on global sports.” The German also praised the “outstanding work” undertaken by the OCA in aiding the IOC in organizing and actively partaking in the Olympic Games, as embodied by the Tokyo 2020 summer games and Beijing 2022 Winter Games.
The First Vice President of the OCA Timothy Fok mentioned that holding the meeting in the Council’s home country of Kuwait is an exceptional event that is highly appreciated, while also extending his gratitude to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah along with the Kuwaiti government for their support of the Asian Olympic Movement. The Olympic Council of Asia announced that it had awarded the Order of Merit to IOC President Dr Bach in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Olympic movement during his presidency, which has spanned more than 12 years, alongside congratulating the IOC President-elect Christy Coventry on winning.
In his speech at the ceremony, Kuwait Olympic Committee Chairman Sheikh Fahad Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah affirmed that the meeting represents a valuable opportunity to exchange views and unify efforts to advance the world of sports in Asia especially as it brings together a select group of influential sports leaders of relevance. He also mentioned that the Kuwait Olympic Committee is committed to supporting the goals of the Olympic Council of Asia and the work alongside national committees to achieve the aspirations of young athletes, wishing all guests in Kuwait a pleasant stay amongst such a gathering.
Chinese basketball star Yao Ming highlighted the profound impact professional sports have had on his education and culture, as it has become a way of life, growth, learning, and communication, to also considered the environment provided by the meeting in Kuwait a great support for athletes.
The ceremony which was attended by officials from the IOC, the council, and heads of Asian sports featured folkloric performances representing the heritage of China, India, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Lebanon and Kuwait highlighting the diverse Asian heritage, while also a video was also shown of the most important sporting championships held on the continent since 1913. — KUNA
